Sheet-registering device for folding-machines.



N0. 844,809. PATENTED FEB'. 19; 1907.

H. K. KING. SHEET REGISTERING DEVICE FOR FOLDING MACHINES.

APPLIUATION FILED FEB. 4. 1905.

3 anbehto'' 1m mm} MQOOtZO y d K M? m dw W PATENTED FEB. 19, 1907.

H. K. KING. SHEET REGISTERING DEVICE FOR FOLDING MACHINES.

APPLICATION FILED FEB 4, 1905.

amen 6oz mo K KM, 7 525 4 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

PATENTEEEEE; 19, 1907.

E. K. KING. SHEET REGISTERING DEVICE FOR FOLDING MACHINES.

APfLIOATION FILED FEB. 4. 1905.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

amen/{oz Mama A. AuJ :1, W

Wit mamas 77m No. 844,809. PATENTED FEB. 19, 1907. H. K. KING. SHEET REGISTERING DEVICE FOR FOLDING MACHINES.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. 4,1905.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 4.

UNTE srnrns PATENT orrrcn.

HOWARD K. KING, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR TO CHAM- 'BERS BROTHERS COMPANY, A CORPORATION OF PENNSYLVANIA.

SHEET-REGISTERING. DEVICE FOR FOLDING-MACHINES.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. 19, 1907.

Annlication filed February 4, 1905. Serial No. 244,673.

citizen of the United States, residing at Phila- 1 delphia, in the county of Philadelphia and E State of Pennsylvania, have invented a new and usetul Sheet Reglstermg Device lor F olding-Machincs, of which the lollowing is a specification.

My invention relates to automatic sheetrcgistering mechanism to be operated in connection with folding machines, printing presses, or other similar devices for operating upon sheets.

The object of my invention is to ail'ord simple, convenient, and accurate means for 1 moving the sheet into the proper position to be operated upon. As an instance of the practical application ol' my inventionl shall now describe the same in connection with a folding-machine in which it is desirable -to have the sheet brought automatically into the-required .positinn' alter the same has traveled over the folding-rollers and before itis delivered thereto. My device is adapted, for instance. to be used in connection. with 'loldinganachines ol the general type described in patents to me, No. 667,021 and No; 667,022,,datcd January 29, 190i. lictcrence being made to the ('lescriptions of Foldingmachines contained in said patents, a further discussion of the details of the folding-machine further than such parts as are espe cially associated with my new improvements is thought to be unnecessary.

My invention comprises means whereby the sheet when the same as traveled over the rollers to the front steps is then moved :mtomatically'sidcwise sullicienlly to bring the middle of the sheet exactly over the line of contact of said two rollers.

My improved means is especially adapted ior use where thcvariation in the initial l i l l a l r l l l was therefore i'iecessary where there was a riation in the position of the sheet that scale, of one of the rings 43.

this variation be provided tor, and the buckling of the sheet was resorted to. It is obvious that the amount of such buckling which can be safely utilized is limited and that therefore the range of registering devices depending upon this buckling is consequently also limited. By the mechanism herein described I do not resort to the buckling of the sheet, but provide a reciprocating nippcr of any required range of movement and a fixed stop for encountering the sheet moved thereby and an adjustment of said inipper whereby its frictional engagement with the sheet is such as to permit the sheet to come to rest when encountering said step.

My invention comprises improved means for the lateral adjustment of the registering mechanism, and where a pair of such registering mechanisms are used my invention comprises improved means for connecting and disconnecting each of said mechanisms operativ ely with the operating parts of the folder and also improved means for securing either of said registering devices in the inoperative position.

My invention also comprises improvements in details of construction.

Referring to the drawings, Figure 1 is a plan view of the folding-machine, showing a pair of registering devices mounted thereon. Fig. 2 is a vertical section on line 2 2 of Fig. 1. 3 is a vertical section on line 3 3 of Fig. 1. 4 is a horizontal section on line at 4 of 3. Fig. 5 is a vertical section on line 5 5 of Fig. 3. Fig. 6 is avertical section on line 6 6 of Fig.3. Fig. 7 is a view similar to Fig. 6, showing the gripping member in a different position. Fig. S is a vertical section on line 8 8 of Fig. 6. Fig. 9 is a detail in plan view. Fig. 10 is a detail, on an enlarged Similar numerals refer to similar parts throughout the several views.

Referring to Fig. 1, the sheet l is carried by the tapes 2 from the feed-roller 3 in the. direction of the arrows until the front edge of the sheet-encounters the stops 4. llere the sheet normally remains at rest until the same is struck by the folding-blade (not shown) between the rollers 5 and 6. It is obvious, however, that the sheet may vary its position fromone side to the other, and therefore its middle will not always be struck through the rollers, which will result in an uneven fold. To, overcome this trouble different means have been provided for operating upon the sheet when the same has come to rest against the stops 4- to pull it sidewise against other stops provided to one no matter What its original displacement is.

In other words, it will thus be obvious that such mechanism to be useful must becapa ble of causing different amounts of move ment to the sheets, depending upon the amount of their original variation from the proper position.

Upon the ordinary folding-machine I mount the slide-bar 7. (See Figs. 1 and 2.) This slide-bar 7 is secured to the side rails or I framework of the folding-machine by the bolts 8, o crating in slots 9, said slots permitting of a 'mited adjustment of said slide-bar.

Upon an upper flange of this slide-bar are provided the two series of racks and 11.

Tothis bar 7 is slidably secured the hanger 12.

The engagement between hanger 12 and bar 7 is best shown in Fig. 3. Bar 7 has at its lower extension beveled edges, forming a dovetail. About one of said beveled edges fits the upwardly-projecting portion 13 of hanger 12, while the block 14 is bolted to said hanger 12 by the bolt 15. (See Fig. 5.) This block 14 has abeveled edge to conform to the bevel of the bar 7. The set-screws 16 are provided in member 12 to adjust block 14 so as to have a nice traveling fit with bar 7 and also to take up .wear. It will be noticed that the block 14 is cut away on its under side from near where it"is secured by bolt 15, as shown in Fig. 3 and in dotted lines in Fig, 5. The clamp screw 51 passes through block 14 and is threaded into mem- -ber 12' and has a shoulder to engage with the top of block 14. This clamp-screw is operated by hand and is adapted to clamp the block 14 against bar 7 to lock thehanger 12 in any desired position. Secured also to hanger 12 is the upwardly-projecting member or. bracket 17, in which is journaled the shaft 18, provided with the pinion 19 for cooperation with the rack 10 or 11 of bar 7. This pinion-shaft 18 is provided with the handle 20, so that the same may be manually operated. By the construction above described it is evident that when the clamp-screw 51 is I loosened then by the turning of pinion- 6o shaft 18 the hanger 12 may be made to travel to'any desired position along the bar 7,

where it may be securely locked in said posit1on by said clamp-screw 51. The. hanger 12 is provided with the downwardly-extending gage or stop 21 and also with the-sleeve 22,

sleeve 23. To one end of sleeve 23 is secured the downWardly-proj ecting member. 24, ending in the horizontal extension 25,.which forms one element of the nipper. Member 25 is also provided with the lug 26, to'which is pivoted at 27 the other element 28 of the nipper. Member 28 has a rear uplward ex tension 29, which is connected wit one end of spring 30. The other end of spring 30 is connected with the adjustable ro 31, pass= cured byt eset-screw 32'. I h 7 By an inspection of Figs. 6 and 7 1t Wlll be seen that the spring .30 will normally tend to tion. Upon the stop member 21 is secured the under side; of the pivoted element 28 when the sameis in diiferent reciprocative positions; The pivoted and movable element 28 has its suriacewhich engages roller 33 so said roller 33 as to cause the opening of the nipper just prior to the end of each reciprocation-that" is, prior to the end of its move ment in each direction. For example, when in the position shown in Fig. 5 the roller 33 has engaged with the rear inclined surface of member 28 and caused the movement of said member in opposition to the tension of spring 30 to the open position. In Fig. 7 the roller 33 is shown in engagement with the front inclined surface, causing 'a slight open ing movement. In Fig. 6 the member 28 is shown entirely free oi roller 33, so that the same mayrespond. to the actuation of spring 30-and assume the closed position with respect to member 25.

The reciprocative movement of the sleeve 23 and the part supported thereby is secured of said sleeves. lteciprocative movement is which is suitably geared or connected with the other operating parts of the machine.

spiing 53, actuates the bell-crank 36, which through connecting-rod '37 actuates' the bellcrank 33, which is connected with rod 34. It

crank 38 is bifurcated, the outer ends of the two arrrs 0 being connectedv by the rod d, to which rod 34 is slidably secured to permit of the adjustment ohslide-bar 7, as above described. The shape of the cam 35'is such that with each reciprocation of'rod 34 there isa considerable period oi dwell in ,one'position of said rod for the urpose hereinafter to be ex lainod. It is a so to be noted that the be l-crank 38 is provided with the alternative arms (Land 1), as shown in Fig. ,2. When the left-hand registering device is in operation,

which is supported the hollowshaft or.

ing throu h member 24 and adjustablfy se= by the following mechanism: The rod 34 ex tends through the sleeves 23 and is supported thereby and is adapted to slide through. either given to said rod by the rotating cam 35,-

This' cam 35, operating against the tension of hold the nipper elements in the closed posi- ,the roller 33, which is adapted to engage with *proportioned and positioned-with respect to is to be noted that the element 0 of the bellsleeve 23 and the reciprocating rod 34 is aceomplished by the following mechanism. I. prefer a fi ictionvclutch of the following form: The sleeve 4-0 is threaded at one end to eoop erate with a thread provided on the end of sleeve 23. From the other end the inteiior of sleeve 40 is threaded to receive the threaded member i1. The outer end of 41 is threaded at 52 to cooperate with the threaded end of the other member 23 on the other side As will be seen from an inspection of Fig. the end of the member -tl whieh enters the sleeve 40 is beveled and of the machine.

- corresponds to the'beveled opposite end of the interior of sleeve 40. A beveled washer 42 is inserted in said opening, and on either,

side of this beveled washer in what may be called beveled channels are inserted the rings 43 of leather or other suitable substance.

These rings are adapted to fit closely about the rod 34. It is also to be noted that these rings 43' have an interrupted peripheral extension, as shown in Fig. 10, to pern it of their contraction. It will now be readily under stood that by the serewingof member 41 into member against the rings 43 in view of the bevel shaped channels occupied by them said tings will be contracted and forced I against the rod IH and thus is readily seemed a h ietional eluteh relationship between sleeve 23 and rod 34 ol any required eflielrney.

The special feature of the i'riction-elutch above described is that while it is readily ad justable so that it maybe varied to meet any requirements it is especially adapted to establish such an operative relationship between sleeve 23 and rod 34 as will serve to se cure the. performance of the work required by the various elements supported by sleeve 23, due to the oscillation of rod 34. At the same time said frictional engagement beeiproeation.ofrod 3 f, ma ma rod could not i make its reciprocation unless the engagement between it and sleeve 23 should yield. This frictional clutch engagement is such therefore that whenever the hanger 1,2 is moved into any different position the frictionalengagement between member 34 and sleeve 23 permits an immediate and automatic adjustment to correspond to the new position of said hanger 12, and consequently to the gage or stop 21. Considering hanger 12 when in the fixed position as the stationary part of the mechanism and the reciprocating sleeve 23 and the mechanism supported thereby and rod 34 as the moving parts, it follows i that this friction-clutch isadapted at all times to permit an automatic adjustment between the movable parts with respect to the stationary part whenever the adjustable position of the stationary part is changed.

The dmnwardly-projeating member 21 supports a horizontally-extending member 44, to which is secured the lower guidelate 45. The upper guide-plate i6 is secure to a bracket 47, which is also connected with the (lownwardly-projecting member 21. The

member 4A is channeled longitudinally for accommodating the lower element 25 of the nipper, and its'upper surface is sloped or inclined on either side toward said channel so that when the grippenjaws are in the operative position, as shown in Fig. 8, the sheet will be given four separated and distinct bends in parallel lines and in the direction of movement of the sheet against the stop or gage 21. These four bends are as "follows: two bends, one on each of the two outer margins of the horizontal member, and two bends, one on each side of the horizontal surfaces of the gripper-jaws. These four bends are obviously caused by pressing a portion of the sheet from the horizontal position down the inclined surfaces of the member 44 and then between the horizontal surfaces of the grip? per-jaws. These four horizontal and par allel bends form a most ellieient'resistance to buckling as the sheet is brought into engagement with stop or gage 21.

The operation of my device is as follows: With each folding operation of the machine the cam 35 makes one complete rotation.

\Vith each rotation of the cam there is a causes a complete forward and back movement of the nipper mechanism supported by the sleeve 23, which is operativcly engaged with said rod. As above stated, the shape of the cam is such as to secure a dwell in the reeiprocative operation of the rod at such point in :its reciprocation as may be desired. This point is approximately that shown in Figs. and 5, in which the nipper r-nechanism is held in the forward positionthat is, toward the sheet and in the open posilion so that the sheet may-readily enter tlierein. The dwell in this position remains until the sheet has approached to near its "final position, when the return movement of the bar begins, which tends'to withdraw the nipper from the sheet and at the same time permit the closing thereof. This return movement of the nipper may begin before the sheet has reached the final position against the stops 4. l

" tial that the sheet shall have reached- It is only essen- I its final position before the nipper elements may complet y close upon the sheet, as shown in Fi 6. From the fact that the nipper e moving before the sheet comes to rest it will be obvious, that great economy in the time required for the-registering operation is secured. When the nipper has seized the sheet, as shown in Fig. 6, the continued rearward movement of the nipper drags the sheet with it until said sheet is brought against the guide or stop 21. In

case the sheet is brought against said stop 21 before the nipper has reached. the limit of its rearward travel the force exerted by spring 30, is sufficiently yielding to permit the nipper to slip along the sheet after the sheet has come to a stop. By means of the adjusting-rod 31, above described, the tension of spring 30 may be so nicely adjusted with respect to the thickness and character of the sheet to be operated upon that the nipper shall have a suificientfrictional engage'ment with the sheet to enable it to move the sheet only until the same encounters the stop 21. The following means are also provided for preventing the buckling of the sheet after it reaches the stop: A portion of the upper surface of the horizontal part of guide member i'is slightly hollowed out or inclined transversely, as shown in Fig. 8; so that when the element 28 closes down on the sheet ,the same is curyed or bent into the hollow, thereby forming a curved or angular line of encounter against the face of stop 21, which prevents any tendency of the sheet to uckle. As the nipper approaches the limit of its rearward movement member 28 again encounters rolldr 33, causing the opening of said nipper to release the sheet 'ust before the same is str lck by the foldinglade.- Thus with automatic precision as each sheet reaches the front stops 4 itis seized and moved either to'the right or left,

as the case may be, to another fixed stop.

The guide-plates and 46 are so shaped tain said sleeves in such relation against the tension of spring 30.

A 4. In a sheet-registering machine,

What I-claim is 1. In a sheet-registering machine, the combination of an adjustable stop or gage, a

reciprocating gripper, means for reciprocating the gripper, and means for automatically establishing the required relationship between the stop or gage and the reciprocating means, at any given position of the stop or gage. c

2. In a sheet-registering machine, the combination of'an adjustable stop or gage, a

ing the gripper, means for opening and closing the gripper as the same is reciprocated, and means for automatically establishing the required'relationship between the stop or gage and the reciprocating means, at any given position of the stop or gage. "1

t 1e combination of an adjustable stop or gage, a reciprocating grip er, means for reciprocating the gripper, a iction-clutch for connecting the reciprocating means with the gripper, and means for limiting the movement, in

either direction, of the gripper relatively to v the stop or gage, to form, in connection with the friction-clutch, means for automatically establishing and maintaining the desired relationship between the gripper and the adjustable stop or gage in all positions of the latter.

5. In a sheet-registering machine, the combination of an adjustable stop or gage, a reciprocating gripper, means for reciprocating the gripper, a friction-clutch between the reciprocating means and gripper, means for varying the efficiency of said clutch, and means for limiting the movement, in either direction, of the gripper relatively to the stop or gage, to form, in connection with the friction-clutch, means for automatically establishing the desired relationship between the gripper and the adjustable stop or gage in all positions of the latter.

6. In a sheet-registering machine, the combination of a reciprocating gripper, and a gage or stop member having a vertical face for engaging the sheet, and a horizontal extension therefrom, said horizontal extension being channeled longitudinally to receive the lower jaw of the gripper, the upper surface of said horizontal extension, on each side of the channel, having a downwardinclination toward said channel.

7. In a sheet-reg stering machine, the

75 reciprocating gripper, means for reciprocatextendin combination of a reciprocating gripper, and a gage or stop member having a vertical face for engaging the sheet and a horizontal extension therefrom, said horizontal extension being channeled longitudinally to receive the lower jaw of the gripper, the upper surface of said horizontal extension on eachside of the channel having a downward inclination toward the upper surface of the lower gripperaw.

8. In a sheet-registering machine, the combination of a reciprocating gripper having upper and lower pivotally-related jaws, a

gage or stop member having a vertical face for engaging the sheet, and a horizontallymember approximate thereto channeled longitudinally to receive the lower jaw of the gripper, the upper surface of said horizontal member being so inclined and disposed with respect to the cooperating surfaces of the gripper-jaws when in operative position, as to give the sheet four separated and distinct bends in lines parallel with each other, and in the direction of movement of the sheet against the stop or gage.

9. In a sheet-registering device, the combination of a reciprocating nipper, an adjustably-supported slide-bar, a hanger slidably supported thereon and means for adjusting the position of the hanger on the slide-bar, the hanger forming a support for the nipper and also forming a stop f or the sheet.

10. In a sheet-registering device, the combination of a reciprocating nipper, an adjustand a frictionclutch between said rod and nipper extension.

12. In a sheet-registering device, an adjustably-supported hanger, a nipper having an extension supported by and horizontally movable in the hanger, a reciprocating rod, a friction-clutch between said rod and nipper extension, a cam and mechanism operating between the cam and rod, .for causingthe reciprocation of the rod with the required intermittent dwell.

13. In combination with a registering-nipper for sheets, means for oscillating the same; comprising an oscillating rod, a sleeve sur rounding the same, and an automaticallyadjustable frietion-clutch between the sleeve and rod comprising 'a ring of yielding material in beveled channels and means for contracting said channels to cause a pressure of the ring against the rod.

14. 1n combination with a machine for operatin upon sheets, registering mechanism for file sheets comprising a slide-rail secured to the stationary framework of the machine, a hanger slidably secured to the rail, rack-and-pinion means for adjusting the position of the hanger and clamping meansbetween the hanger and the rail, and oscillating means supported by said hanger for moving the sheet.

15. In combination with a machine for operating upon sheets, registering mechanism l'or the sheets comprising a slide-rail secured to the stationary framework of the machine, a hanger slidably secured to the rail, raclc-and-pinion means for adjusting the position of the hanger and clamping means between the hanger and the rail, a fixed stop and oscillating means supported: by said hanger for moving the sheet to the stop.

16. A sheet-registering mechanism, the combination of a reciprocating nipper and means for causing its reciprocation comprising an adjustable slide-bar and means for supporting the same, a hanger adjustably secured thereto, a sleeve slidably mounted in, the hanger, a reciprocating rod slidably mounted in the sleeve, and an adjustable friction-clutch for securing operative relationship between the sleeve and the reciprocating rod having such adjustmentas to enable the sleeve to do the work required, but to permit independent movcment between rod and sleeve to automatically adjust the sleeve with the adjustment ol'thehanger.

HOWARD K. KING. Witnesses:

MAE HOFMANN, GEORGE IV. W ILGUS. 

